There is another class of people who seek online education and actually benefit from it: enthusiasts with the sole purpose of learning something new. I know a guy at work who, while being a software developer, happily does online biology courses on the side.

On another note, I think mentors and a strong network helps in extracting purpose out of online learning. As software developers, a lot of us tend to undermine the importance of networking, especially in finding new jobs or growing within a company.